Sydney Airport Introduction CAT II Operations will be implemented at Sydney Airport in late 2013 on Runway 34L and on Runway 16R early in 2014. The Category II Instrument Landing System (ILS) systems will have frequency paired Distance Measuring Equipment (DME). Procedures will be published on the Airservices Australia website. The ILS will continue to use the same frequencies, namely: ILS RWY 34L = ISN 110.1 and ILS RWY 16R = KS 109.5 ONLY THOSE AUSTRALIAN AND FOREIGN AIRCRAFT OPERATORS THAT ARE AUTHORISED BY CASA TO CONDUCT LOW VISIBILITY OPERATIONS (LVO) WITHIN AUSTRALIA ARE PERMITTED TO CARRY OUT ILS CAT II height of 15 m (50 ft) or less above the horizontal plane APPROACHES AT SYDNEY AIRPORT containing the threshold. Typically, it will have minima of a Decision Height (DH) of 100 ft and a Runway Visual What is a Category II ILS? Range (RVR) of 300 m (ICAO Definition). An ILS which provides guidance information from The RVR minima at Sydney will be limited to 350 m the coverage limit of the ILS to the point at which the due to taxiway light spacing requirements on localiser course line intersects the ILS glide path at a the airfield.
Approach and Runway Lighting Cat II ILS Minima Both ends will ultimately have an ALSF-2 Approach The CAT II ILS will enable lower minima to be used Lighting System with Sequenced Flashing Strobe for both Runways 16R and 34L. The minima will be a Lights (“Running Rabbit”). DH/RVR of 100 ft HAT/350 m for both runways. The minima for ILS CAT I approach for 16R will remain at 210 (202) ft AGL/550 m RVR for RWY 16R, whilst for Runway 34L 34L, it will be 220 (206) ft/800 m RVR [previously 1500 m Runway 34L will consist of a reduced length (VIS)]. This means that all aircraft will benefit and not High Intensity Approach Lighting System (HIAL). only those aircraft suitably equipped and with qualified The Runway 34L HIAL will have an ICAO compliant crews to carry out CAT II approaches. 420 m layout. This is due to the restricted land available For a B747 aircraft at 100 ft DH, RVR 350 m, the above prior to the 34L threshold. Beyond this are the waters segment of the approach lighting system is visible: of Botany Bay. An extensive consultation process and • White cross-bar with red side barrettes – 150 m from risk assessment has been undertaken with all the key the runway threshold. stakeholders, including operators and pilot association representatives, prior to the reduced HIAL array being • Followed by 4 red sidebar barrettes and the approved by CASA. A reduced HIAL system of 420 m corresponding 4 white centreline barrettes is already allowed in Europe and such a system is in (spaced 30 m apart) operation at Barcelona Airport. • Green runway threshold lights. The exact view will, however, depend on the aircraft design eye height and the slant range. For example, in a control seat of the B747-400, sitting at design eye, the flight deck is 43 ft above the Main Gear Height. Therefore, at the 100 ft DH (main gear height), Pilot eye height in a B747 is 143 ft.
Pilot eye height
ILS G/S antenna
height “TCH”
Main gear height
Runway 16R Runway 16R will have a 900 m lighting array.
A Full ALSF II Array at Hong Kong Airport
Approach Lighting System (ALS) 420m layout
Threshold Lights: appear green Runway Touch Down Zone Light
for aircraft landing and • Gives depth view of the runway red for aircraft taking off
Approach Light • Warning red light, which a/c should not land yet
Cross Bar Light
• Indicate a/c wings status
Sequence Flashing Light
• To guide the pilot’s eyes toward the runway centreline Other Requirements for Upgrading ILS Taxi Routes In order to upgrade from CAT I to CAT II, in addition to During low visibility operations Taxiway routes for a HIALS (including touchdown zone lighting), centreline aircraft other than A380 will remain unchanged. lighting and a secondary power source for the ILS with For A380 aircraft, specific taxiway routing can be found an instantaneous switch over time are required. Other in The Sydney Airport Operations Manual. requirements are associated with the more stringent This leaflet is for guidance only. Pilots should ensure monitoring of the ILS signal and protection of both that they have reviewed the latest NOTAMS and other the ILS glideslope and the localiser. This is why we information prior to conducting Low Vis Operations at see Pattern B Runway Hold Point used on Taxiway Sydney Airport. Pilots should operate in accordance ALPHA which is used to protect the present ILS CAT I with the operator’s own SOPs. Critical Area. Inset stop bars have also been installed at these locations, which are selectively operated by Sydney ATC when the hold points are in use for References protection of the ILS (Cloud base less than 600 ft [1] ICAO Annex 10 and visibility less than 2000 m). The ILS sensitivity [2] ERSA area becomes more critical in CAT II, because generally the aircraft are using auto-land. [3] ICAO Annex 14/MOS 139